Arrest in shooting death of Chicago officer's teen son on porch

CHICAGO — Chicago police said an 18-year-old man shot and killed an officer's son last summer while the victim was sitting on his parent's front porch with friends, because the gunman falsely believed the victims were rival gang member, reports CBS Chicago.

Anthony Moore has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the August 2016 shooting which left 19-year-old Arshell "Trey" Dennis III dead, and a friend seriously wounded.

Dennis, 19, was the son of Chicago Police Sgt. Arshell "Chico" Dennis.

The station reports that Trey Dennis was a junior studying journalism at St. John's University in New York, and had come home to surprise his mother for her birthday last August.

Shortly after midnight on Aug. 14, 2016, he and two friends were sitting on his parents' front porch in the Wrightwood neighborhood, when a group of gunmen walked up and opened fire on them, police said.

Area Central Detectives Commander Brendan Deenihan said Moore shot Dennis, mistakenly thinking he and his friends were rival gang members.

"These offenders did this because they believed Arshell and his friends were in an opposing gang, which is not accurate at all. Arshell was a college student, his friends were not in any gangs, his friends were not affiliated with any gangs, but these offenders … basically saw three male blacks in their late teens or early 20s sitting on a porch, and they decided that this was the opposing gang, and they decided to shoot these individuals," said Deenihan.

The younger Dennis was shot in the chest, and died at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park. A friend who was with him was seriously wounded, but survived. His other friend was not hurt.

Deenihan said Moore later bragged about the shooting, believing he had killed a rival gang member. In addition to witness statements, detectives were able to collect surveillance video of two stolen cars the shooters used to drive to and from the scene of the shooting, Deenihan said.

Police said Moore has a juvenile criminal record, and was arrested six times within three months of turning 18 in November 2016. CBS Chicago reports that sheriff's records show he was in custody on charges of possession of stolen vehicle when he was charged with Dennis' shooting.